Feeler mechanism for automatic weft-replenishing looms.



A. E. RHOADES.

FEELER MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMSI APPLICATION FILED OCT-11,1915- Patented July 3, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I .A- E- RHOADES.

FEELER MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC WE FT REPLENISHING LOOMS. APPUCATION man OCT. 11, ms.

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A. E. RHOADES.

FEELER MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-11.19%.

Patented July 3, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Jazzy.

A. E. RHOADES.

FEELERMECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC WEfT REPLENISHING LOOIVIS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. H, 1915- Patented July 3, 1917.

4 SHEETS ED STATES PATENT onnion. v

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FEELER MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC WEFT-BEPLENISHING LOOKS.

Patented Jul 3, 1917.

Application filed October 11, 1915. Serial No. 55,331.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoNzo E. RHOADE's,

a resident of Hopedale, in the county of.

Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeler Mechanism for Automatic Weft-Replenishing Looms, of which the following is a specification.

In an accompanying application for Letters Patent of the United States, filed October 11, 1915, Serial No. 55,330, I have de-" scribed an automatic weft replenishing loom wherein the weft carriers are held in the magazine with their tips toward the warp. This involves a shuttle having its eye end toward the warp whenat the replenishing side of the loom; and, consequently when the shuttle arrives at the detecting side of the loom its butt end is near the entrance to the shuttle box while the eye end is next to the picker. Hence, none of the usual weft feeler mechanisms located at the detecting side of the loom opposite to the side where the replenishing mechanism is situated can be directly used since they have all heretofore been organized so that the' feeler finger or fingers will enter the shuttle and contact with the weft near the butt of the weft carrier and hence near the outer end of the shuttle box at the detecting side of the loom.

The object of the present invention is to produce a feeler mechanism adapted to such new loom. y

The present improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1, is a plan view of so muchof the detecting side of a loom as is necessary for an understanding of the invention. Fig. 2, is a vertical section in the plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is an end view of the feeler mechanism. 'Fig. 4:, is a cross-section in the plane indicated by the line 4-4 in Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6, are plan views of the feeler mechanism, showing different positions thereof. Fig. 7, is a detail view.

As shown in Fig. 1, the shuttle- A, is illustrated in the shuttle box at the detecting side of the loom and the end of the shuttle where the eye a, is located is at the outside of the box adjacent the picker B. This brings the base I), of the weft carrier G, at the inner end of the shuttle box. The front walls of the shuttle box and of the shuttle are'open, as'shown in Fig.4, for the en trance of the feeler fingers as is customary, excepting that in the present instance these openings are near the inner end of the shuttle box instead of near the outer end as heretofore. y

There are two feeler fingers D and E, both of which enter the shuttle and come in contact with the weft therein. The feeler finger D, is blunt and broad so that it issimply impinged upon by the weft. It slides forward and back in rectilinear beam. Thefinger D, is moved forwardly by the-impingement of the weft within the ides a, secured to an extension d, of the reast shuttle as the lay swings forward when the shuttle is at the detecting side of the loom,

and it is moved backwardly to its normal idle position by a spring F, shown in Fig. 3. This spring F, is seated in a socket e,

on a bracket f, secured to the breast beam extension 01; and at its free end it bears against an arm 9, of a rocking frame G,

which turns on a horizontal stud h, carried by the bracket 7. This frame has a deing finger D, at k. Its forward arm is pivoted at Z, to an arm H, which extends out wardly and is slotted at m, (Fig. 5) to receive a stud n, (Fig. 2) at the lower end of the arm g. Accordingly, the arm H, par-- takes of the forward and back sliding movements ofv the feeler finger D. The arm H, rests and slides upon a slideway o, fixed to the breast beam extension.

The feeler finger E, is normally maintained in the position illustrated in Fig. 5, projecting rearwardly beyond the impinging face of the feeler finger D, by means of a spring p, which as shown in Fig. 5, is connected at opposite ends to the arm H, and to the depending arm '5, of the rocking frame G.

As long as there is an ample quantity of ing feeler with respect to the feeler finger D. When, however, the weft reaches the critical period of exhaustion, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the penetrating feeler comes in effective contact with the hard weft carrier 0. The penetrating feeler cannot sink into the hard weft carrier and, therefore, it receives its difierential movement with respect to the feeler finger D, swingin on its pivot is. The result is thatthe arm is moved outwardly as shown in Fig. 6.

An actuator I, is fixed to the arm H, and projects forwardly as shown in Figs. 5 and '6. When the feeler finger E, and the arm H, are in their normal position, illustrated in Fig. 5, this actuator I, is out of register with an upwardly projecting dog 9, on a transmitter J, which is pivoted at 1'. When, however, the feeler finger E, is swungto the position shown in Fig. 6, the actuator I, is moved into register with the said dog Accordingly, when the rocking frame swings forward as the result of the forward sliding of the feeler finger D, during the finish of the forward swing of the lay, the notched forward end of the actuator I, encounters the dog 9, of the transmitter J, and said transmitter is swung forwardl This swinging of the transmitter J is utilized to initiate themotion of the weft replenishing train of mechanism. Of this mechanism only the controller K, is shown. This controller is pivoted at s, and ithas a controlling arm 6, only a portion of which is shown. This arm 1?, is constructed and operatively connected with the rest of a train of weft replenishing mechanism, such as shown, for example, in the United States Letters Patent to Northrop No. 911,672, February 9, 1909.

The outer end'L, of the controller has its extremity formed as shown in Figs. 3 and 7. At its lowest portion the outer end L, of. the controller has a rearwardly projecting arm u, with a beveled or cammed face 0, and it is extended beyond its cam face to constitute a ledge '11:, above which the lowermost portion a, (see Fig. 2) of the transmitter J, is normally located. When the transmitter J, is moved forwardly it encounters the camface 'v, and thereby depresses the outer end L, of the controller K,

thus lifting its Weft replenishing mechanism controlling arm t. The free .endof the transmitter is prevented .from rising by means of the fixed guide M, located immediately above the dog g, as shown in Figs. 2

- and 3.

As the lay retires the feeler fingers and the rockin frame G, move backwardly under the actlon of the spring F, and the transmitter J is likewise restored to its normal rearward position by the spring 3 shown in Fig. 2 a

It will be noted that the axis of the pivotk, of the laterally swinging penetrating finger E, is located as near as practicable to the extreme rear end of the impinging finger D, so that, as shown in Fig. 6, the said axis, when the lay is forward and the bobbin is nearly depleted, is back of the front Wall of the shuttle box and, indeed, enters the shuttle. The short arm of the penetrating feeler which carries the penetrating point extends laterally from its axis and toward the middle of the loom, and the long arm of the penetrating finger extends forwardly and to the forward end of this long arm is connected the outwardly, laterally movable arm H. By reason of this construction, when the penetrating finger is encountered by the bobbin and the subsequent forward movement of the bobbin swings the penetrating finger, there is no appreciable scraping of the penetrating point lengthwise of the bobbin, since the arc in which the penetrating point swings is substantially tangential to the line of forward movement of the engaging point of the bobbin.

It is desirable that the controller K, should be locked when idle so as to prevent any accideutal movement which might prematurely set into action the weft replenishing mechanism. To effect this the outer end L, of the controller K, has a second horizontal arm N, which, as best shown in Fig. 7, has a cam incline O, a horizontal face a, and a downwardly projecting toe P. This arm N, is not in the same plane as the arm a, as shown in Fig. 7

The arm N, cooperates with the raised shank of the transmitter J. The. cam O, is so related to the cam ?;,.as shownin Fig. 7 that it does not interfere with the depression of the end L, of the controller by the forward movement of the transmitter so that when the transmitter is moved forwardly its shank occupies the position indicated in dotted linesin Fig. 7, through the lowering of the end L, of the controller.

'When now the transmitter .moves rearcan not be moved downwardly because the face a, encounters the elevated shank of the transmitter J. It can not move upwardly because the ledge '11), encounters the lowermost portion of the transmitter J.

The slot m, of the arm H, (Figs. 5 and 6) is enough longer than the stud n, of the arm g,'of, the rocking frame G, to allow for the longitudinal movement of the arm H, when the penetrating feeler finger E, swings. The

' normal conditions the springp, pulls the penetrating feeler finger E, is adjustable by means of a screw Q, which screws in and out of a stud R, extending upwardly from the outer end of the arm H. The screw Q, is held in any adjustable position by the lock nut S. The head of the screw Q, bears against the outer face'of the arm 9. 'Under arm H, to the right (Fig. 5) until the head of the screw Q, comes in contact with the ger D; a enetrating finger E pivoted thereto; a roc ing frame G pivoted above said feeler fingers and having two dependin arms 9, i, the inner of which is connecte with said impinging feeler finger; a spring F acting to move said frame rearwardly a laterally movable arm H connected at-one end to the front end of said penetrating feeler finger and at its other end connected slidingly to the outer depending arm g, of said swinging frame; an adjustable stop Q carried by said arm at its outer end; a spring 32, connected with said arm H and holding said stop normally against the outer face of said outer depending arm of the rocking frame; a forwardly extending actuator I carried by said arm; a swinging transmitter J having an upwardly projecting dog 9,

adapted to be encountered by said actuator when the said penetrating feeler finger is swung on'its pivot; and a controller K for the weft replenshing mechanism governed by said transmitter. 2. A weft replenishing loom having, in

. combination, a sliding impinging feeler finger; a penetrating finger pivoted thereto; a rocking frame pivoted above said feeler fingers and having two depending arms one of which is connected with said impinging feeler finger; a spring acting to. move said frame rearwardly; a laterally movable arm connected at one end to the front end of said penetrating feeler finger and at its other end connected slidingly to the outer ,depending arm 'of said swinging frame; a spring connected with said arm and holding it in normal position; and a forwardly extending actuator carried by said arm.

3. A weft replenishing loom having, in

- combination, a sliding impinging feeler finger; a penetrating finger pivoted thereto; a

, laterally movable arm connected at one end to the front end of said penetrating feeler finger and extending outwardly therefrom;

orwardly extending actuator carried by said arm; means cooperating with said impmging finger and w th the outer end of said .lateral y movable arm to cause said arm to move forwardly with said impinging a forwardly extendmg actuator carried by said arm; and means coiiperating with said I impinging finger and with the outer end of said laterally movable arm to cause said arm to move forwardly finger;

15. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, an impinging feeler finger; a

with said impinging swingingfinger; a lateral arm extending outwardly from said swinging feeler finger; an actuator movable with said arm; and means cooperating with said impinging finger and with the outer end of said lateral arm to cause said arm to move forwardly with said impinging finger.

6. A weft replenishing loom having a 4 feeler mechanism comprising an impinging feeler finger and a laterally swinging penetrating feeler finger pivoted thereto, 0th of 7 said fingers entering the shuttle and contacting with the weft therein, and the penetrating feeler finger contacting. with the weft carrier when the weft is suficiently de pleted, in combination with mechanism controlled by the feeler mechanism whereby the replenishing operation of the loom is initiated.

7, Al weft replenishing loom having a feeler mechanism comprising an impinging feeler finger and a laterally swinging pene trating feeler finger, both of said fingers entering the shuttle and contacting with the weft therein, and the penetrating feeler finger contacting with the weft carrier when the weft is sufficiently depleted, in combination with mechanism whereb the re lenishing operation ofthe loom is nitiate 8. A weft replenishing loom having, in combination, a sliding impinging feeler finger; a penetrating finger pivoted thereto' a 9. A weft replenishing loom having a feeler mechanism comprising an impinging feeler finger and a laterally swinging penetrating feeler finger pivoted thereto, both of said fingers entering the shuttle and contacting with the weft therein, and the pivot of said penetrating finger being located close to the rear end of the impinging; finger, so that the axis of said pivot enters the shuttle when the penetrating finger encounters 10 In witness whereof, I have hereunto 15 signed my name.

ALONZO E. RHOADES, 

